


Mistakes

by Didactic_Yam



Category: Persona 5
Genre: M/M, akeshu - Freeform, different timeline, it will eventually be more explicit i promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:40:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25699693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Didactic_Yam/pseuds/Didactic_Yam
Summary: Akechi wanted to linger by the bar, wait for Sojiro to come in, wait for Akira to come downstairs, pretend as though everything was normal and last night was not a mistake.Instead, he unlocked and opened the door.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 4
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and thanks for reading! I just wanted to say that I haven't played Royal, so instead I've gone to YouTube to watch the new confidant scenes between MC/Akechi. If other things happened in Royal that make my story inconsistent, I apologize, but since I haven't played it, I won't be adding in the new characters/main story. I hope you still enjoy it!

**Akechi – September**

It was a mistake. That’s what Akechi kept telling himself over and over again throughout the previous evening and night. Those were the words that waited in his mind this morning, when he woke to soft light pushing through paper windows above a bed that wasn’t his. He let his head fall to the side, staring at the person beside him for a few brief moments before carefully rising. He gathered up his clothes, strewn across the floor in such haste the night before, tangled and piled with another’s. The detective dressed slowly and quietly, trying to clear his mind of the night before and fix the memories there forever at the same time.

He sat back on the bed as he straightened his coat and tie, letting his head fall into his hands. He wanted to stay. He wanted to rip his clothes off again, slide under the blanket and not be alone. He wanted much more than that, but before he lost his resolve to leave, he stood back up and pushed his hands through his hair to straighten the disheveled mess. He took another glance at the sleeping figure. Akira’s expression was peaceful, and somehow more relaxed than his usual stoic face. The most emotion the thief showed was in the other world; behind his mask, Akechi had seen a hungry excitement during and after battle that was, at first, intriguing. The intrigue soon morphed to something else, but he wasn’t going to think about that right now. In this world, Akira sometimes cracked a smile when all of the thieves got together, but strong emotions never seemed to come out. Until last night, anyway, when his expressionless mask was ripped away by none other than Akechi himself.

He needed to stop thinking about it. Moving swiftly but still quietly, the detective grabbed his bag from the table near the stairs and descended. It was early enough that Sojiro hadn’t come to open the shop yet, and the empty café was dark yet homey. Akechi wanted to linger by the bar, wait for Sojiro to come in, wait for Akira to come downstairs, pretend as though everything was normal and last night was not a mistake.

Instead, he unlocked and opened the door. He held the bell to muffle the jingle as he stepped outside and carefully closed it again. He could imagine Akira waking up at the slight noise, his dark eyes cracking open between thick, dark lashes. He would probably stretch, and maybe wince in soreness from last night’s activities. Would he then shoot out of bed when realizing he was alone? Would he go for his phone and call the man who had promised him everything the night before, only to leave silently the next morning? Akechi walked down the back alley, heading for the station, remembering the day when this all started, months ago. Passersby might wonder why such a nicely dressed young man looked so gloomy on such a nice morning, at the very beginning of what would surely be a beautiful day. He kept his head lowered all the way to the station, wrestling with the thoughts in his head. He pushed away the images, the feelings, everything from the night before. Everything from the last few months. It was a mistake, a mistake, a mistake…

**Akira – April, after stealing Kamoshida’s heart**

Living in Tokyo was proving to be more interesting than he had expected. Akira had been determined to stay under the radar at his new school, even if that meant he would have to spend the whole year alone with no friends or interactions. He had been ready to accept that fate, until fate apparently had different things in store. He still couldn’t quite believe there was an entire metaverse behind the normal world, or that the majority of his conversations involved what appeared to be a talking cat. And despite his resolve to stay uninvolved, not only was he currently threatened with expulsion, but he had also somehow made some friends throughout the process.

They had stolen the twisted teacher’s treasure only a few days ago, and nothing had happened so far. Akira wasn’t sure what to expect, but had also decided that worrying about it wouldn’t get him anywhere. Instead, he tried to behave as normally as he could, which meant getting up and going to school normally every day despite the fact that he could be walking into his own expulsion. He put the thought to the back of his mind and started downstairs with a still-sleeping Morgana curled up in his bag.

He was surprised to see a young man sitting at the bar, eyes fixed on the TV while absently holding his cup of coffee. Akira skirted the back of the man’s chair and set his bag down at one of the tables before going to get coffee and food for himself. The other person didn’t look away the entire time, too engrossed in the news story of the morning. While his coffee brewed, Akira listened to the anchor discuss another crash relating to a mental shutdown. _That has to be the third one this week…_ he thought. He carried a plate of curry and a large mug to the table he had claimed and was just sitting down when Sojiro appeared behind the counter.

“Another crash?” the boss was speaking to the other man, it seemed, and he finally turned away from the screen to look up at Sojiro.

“Seems to be. I think it’s the third one just this week.” His voice was smooth and light, and he sounded younger than he looked. Akira guessed he was probably around his own age, even though he was dressed more like a business man than a student and carried a briefcase. “Would you mind pouring me another cup?”

Sojiro nodded. “Kurusu, do you want another before you leave?” The man at the bar turned when Sojiro address him and regarded him with curiosity. Akira nodded. “Akechi-san, this is Kurusu Akira. He’s staying in the loft above the shop for a while, but he just started at Shujin Academy a couple of weeks ago. He helps in the shop a bit now, too.”

“Shujin? How interesting. I hope you’re enjoying things there. My name is Akechi Goro, I’m sure you’ll see me again here.”

Akira nodded again, slightly self-conscious from the attention. He brought his cup to the bar for Sojiro to fill, then downed it as quickly as he could. He shouldered his bag, but before he could open the door to leave, the young man spoke again.

“I’ll walk with you to the station if that’s okay. I need to be going anyway. Thanks, Sakura-san.” He left a few bills on the counter as he stood and picked up his briefcase. “Shall we?” With a pleasant enough smile, he opened the door and ushered Akira into the street. They walked side by side to the station, neither speaking for several moments.

Akira stole glances at his companion, noting the pristine outfit, sleek hair, and friendly demeanor. He was a little intrigued at this stranger, but wondered mostly why the young man wanted to walk with him, especially since he hadn’t said a word since leaving the café. Akechi turned to look over at him and their eyes met briefly before Akira looked the opposite way, taking sudden interest in one of the large TV screens outside the station. His eyes widened as he realized whose face he saw, and he slowed to a stop.

“What’s wrong?” Akechi asked before he, too, saw the screen. “Oh, I forgot they were going to show that interview today.” The TV showed Akechi talking genially with an interviewer about the psychic breakdown cases. She asked how he handled working such a demanding job while still being a student. They passed the TV before Akira heard the reply.

“Are you some kind of celebrity?” Akira wondered if he was supposed to recognize him from something. Was he in a TV commercial? A movie maybe? They resumed walking at a slower pace that before now that a conversation had finally started.

“Only to the extend of appearing on TV now and then, but not really. I am an amateur detective. Since I’m still in high school, people go kind of nuts about it.” Akechi gave a short laugh. He looked a little sheepish, but continued. “I consult with the police on some small cases when they ask, but otherwise, I’m just a normal student.”

“That’s pretty impressive – and it explains why you’re so polite, since you’re having to work with major professionals all the time. Don’t you have classes today?” Akira eyed his clothes – if that was a uniform, then he was glad he didn’t have to go to that school.

“I’m not going today, I can get off now and then for “work” purposes. It can be nice, but catching up on schoolwork can get annoying.” At this point, the two had made it to the station, and were bound for separate trains. “Before you go, Kurusu-kun, let’s exchange contact information. I enjoyed our chat this morning, though it was brief. We can meet up again when we both have the time.” Akira held out his phone and accepted Akechi’s information. He was a bit baffled – they had hardly talked at all this morning, and even though he was intrigued by the detective, he didn’t think it went both ways.

With a small wave and a smile, Akechi walked off down the platform to his train. Akira checked his phone again, and then boarded his train too, still thinking over his unlikely morning company. He wondered if he would really see Akechi Goro again.


	2. Chapter 2

Akechi – September

**NEW SMS 16:06**

**Kurusu Akira:** I’m going to Jazz Jin tonight, will you come?

Akechi stared at his phone screen much longer than he should have. Akira had messaged him almost daily since they’d slept together. Akechi saved all of the messages, but never replied despite his entire being longing to. He played out their conversations in his head, what it could be like if everything was normal. What they could be if Akechi’s life hadn’t been ruined, if he could be nice and accepting of everything that happened like Akira was, if they were both just typical high schoolers with nothing more to worry about than studying and part-time jobs.

Akechi had denied what was happening for too long. While other plans were being made behind the scenes to cause the downfall of Shido, the downfall of the phantom thieves, he knew something was growing and changing inside of himself. If he had accepted it from the beginning, would he still be able to get the revenge he needed? Or would he be content to watch _that_ man rise to power so long as he had Akira by his side? He felt like vomiting. He had nothing, now. He was ignoring Akira, Nijima Sae, even Shido’s cronies for the last few days. He couldn’t claim to be ill forever, but he wondered if he would ever feel right again.

Akechi had hardly moved from his floor for days. He sat for hours on end, leaning against his bed with his head thrown back against it, alternately sleeping and just... existing. He checked the time on his phone. **18:40**. He wondered if Akira really had gone to the jazz club, hoping Akechi would be there. He imagined Akira sitting at a table alone, puzzling over the drink menu, before eventually deciding on a random fruity mocktail. He would lean back in his chair, letting his dark bangs cover his eyes, ignoring the drink and music and using the time and space just to think. It would be such a pitiful sight, like a puppy waiting for a master who was never going to come back. Whose master was dead. Akechi felt like screaming as a pain tore through his chest. He grabbed his shirt, hugging himself and feeling the first tears he’d cried in years and years slip from his eyes. He curled inward, hiding his face, shame and relief washing over him as sobs wracked his body. Several long minutes passed and his gasping and crying subsided. Akechi relaxed his body out, letting his head fall back on the bed and his hands fall open at his sides.

_I must be a pitiful sight_ , he thought. He felt utterly defeated. Akira had won after all, he supposed. The thief probably didn’t even know it. His biggest adversary, the black masked villain who was still a mystery to Akira’s little gang, defeated on his bedroom floor. They had no idea that Akechi was setting them up to fail, to be hated by everyone and blamed for everything. They were supposed to take the fall so that Akechi could finally reveal himself to his father, could finally control the situation for once. Instead, the villain fell in love. Worse, the villain acted on his feelings and made a mistake and now no one would win in the end, except the one man that none of them wanted to.

He could tell them. He could go to LeBlanc right now and walk up the stairs to Akira’s room, confess everything. He knew he would be welcomed with open arms, arms that would pull him into a tight hug because of the expression on his face, because of the tears that would doubtlessly fall from his eyes. Then he could have Akira – all of him, all to himself. He could be one of the good guys and go into the other world together with those idiot thieves. He could change people’s hearts, not kill them, and pretend like that mattered to him. He could do it and his life would be no different, really, than what it was now.

Then he would have Akira. Then he would never have the revenge he needed on his father. They would change Shido’s heart and he would confess and go to jail, but jail was more than he deserved. And in his confession, Akechi’s own name would come up, and the happiness he might have attained would be gone. He would be imprisoned, or killed. Either way he still wouldn’t have Akira in the end, not if the thieves changed Shido’s heart and not if Shido won and controlled everything.

The only way to have Akira was for Akechi himself to take control.

Akira – June

As Akira waited for Ryuji and Ann to show up to the TV station for the class trip, he was thinking that he was quite happy for a bit of respite. It felt like no time at all had passed and yet he’d already lived in Tokyo for two months. In that time, he’d also entered two cognitive palaces and changed the hearts of two quite evil men. He was happy to have been able to help Ann and Yusuke and who knows how many others, but he was also exhausted with juggling his life in the metaverse alongside his real life. The little trip seemed like it might be boring, but Akira was thinking that a change of pace would be nice.

His friends showed up before too long and they were taken on a very long and in-depth tour of the TV station. He complained alongside Ryuji about moving the surprisingly heavy cables, but he didn’t really mind doing it. He was chatting with Ann, Ryuji, and Morgana in a hallway when Akechi Goro surprised him with his appearance once again.

“Excuse me, I couldn’t help but notice your uniforms. Are you students of Shujin academy?” The three students turned while Morgana quickly ducked back into Akira’s bag. “Oh, hello Kurusu-kun. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Ann and Ryuji gave him curious looks. “ It has,” Akira replied, “I haven’t seen you in the café since that first time.”

Akechi looked at Ann and Ryuji. “Ah, where are my manners? My name is Akechi Goro, we’ll be filming together tomorrow. I know Kurusu-kun from Leblanc. I haven’t had the time to make it over there recently, however. It’s good to see you again.” He pulled out his phone to check the time, then continued. “I’m sorry, I was just passing by on my way to a briefing for tomorrow’s recording, and I have to get going. So you’re going to go have cake now? I missed lunch today so I’m quite hungry myself. Cake sounds exceedingly good.”

At their confused looks, Akechi elaborated. “Oh, am I mistaken? I thought I heard something about delicious pancakes. No matter, I’ll see you all tomorrow then.” With a small wave, he continued down the hallway.

“Who was he?” Ryuji asked. “And why is he being filmed? Is he some kind of start-up entertainer or something?”

“No, a detective in high school. I think he’s our age. He’s been on TV a few times already.” Akira answered. He felt warm, suddenly. He hadn’t thought much about the detective since their first meeting, but his curiosity came back in full force. Akechi stayed on his mind as he followed Ryuji and Ann to the nearby theme park. Not even a stomach-drop-inducing roller coaster completely cleared his head, and he was grateful when Morgana mentioned they should head back for the day.

At the door of Leblanc, Akira left Morgana, who wanted to take a walk around the area before nighttime. He greeted Sojiro, who told him that he didn’t need to help in the café that night, and deposited his bag upstairs. He fell onto his bed, worn out now that he was at home. He was surprised when woke up nearly two hours later at a chime from his phone.

**NEW SMS 20:13**

**Akechi Goro:** Good evening, Kurusu-kun. I just wanted to say it was good to bump into you today.

 **Akechi Goro:** I’ve been swamped with things for the past few weeks, but I should have a break tomorrow after the filming. Would you be free tomorrow evening?

Akira bolted awake. He look at his phone again and reread the messages, making sure he wasn’t imagining things from the detective being on his mind all afternoon. He looked around his room – Morgana wasn’t back yet, and the downstairs was quiet. He stretched and rubbed his eyes, then started typing a reply. His heart thumped heavily, which he decided to attribute to being woken up suddenly.

**NEW SMS 20:15**

**Kurusu Akira:** Hi, Akechi-kun. It was good to see you today too. I’m free tomorrow, shall we meet in the evening so that I can change out of my uniform?

 **Akechi Goro:** Good to hear! How about I come back to Leblanc with you for a bit? You can change, and I can finally get that cup of coffee that I’ve been craving. We can just leave together form the studio, if that works for you?

 **Kurusu Akira:** That would work too. I’ll see you tomorrow then?

 **Akechi Goro:** Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow, Kurusu-kun. Good night.

 **Kurusu Akira:** Good night!

Akira let his phone fall to the bed and let out the pent-up breath he’d been holding. He wiped his sweaty palms on his sheets and decided to spend the rest of the night studying rather than letting himself think about a certain detective. He was mostly successful. When Morgana returned, they each got ready to go to sleep, and as his consciousness waned, Akira’s returned to thinking about clever brown eyes that had a peculiar red tint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed reading this! I feel like maybe my chapters are too short? Though if they were longer, they would also take longer to write! Anyway, I would appreciate any and all feedback on the story or writing. And if you notice any errors, just let me know and I can go in and fix them! Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

Akechi – September

Akechi’s palms were sweaty and his stomach was roiling, but he was certain that his face looked calm and clear. Necessity required that he be a great actor, and it wasn’t really that hard. He never would have made it this far if he couldn’t conceal what he felt and thought and present something entirely different to whomever was watching. As he turned down the alley toward Leblanc, he looked every bit his usual self: friendly but a little aloof, a normal kid going to get a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning. He wanted to throw up.

Akechi made sure not to hesitate before walking into the café. He felt hot under his collar, as if a spotlight was on him as he opened the door. The bell jingled and he stepped into the dim, warm shop. He breathed in the odd but pleasant aroma of coffee and curry that was so unique to the café and let his eyes scan the bar. Sojiro came around the corner at the sound of the bell, wiping his hands on his apron.

“Akechi-kun, good to see you. Black coffee, right?” Sojiro already had a mug set out, half full with the delicious brew when he finished his sentence.

“Yes, thank you, Sakura-san.” Akechi set his briefcase on the floor and pulled out a barstool to sit. He thought of the last time he sat in this stool, and where that night had gone. The heat under his collar seemed to creep up his face a little, and he hoped it wasn’t noticeable. He could school his features expertly, but he couldn’t stop biology.

Akechi appreciated Sojiro for the fact that he didn’t pry or linger overlong. Seeing his one patron content and not starting any conversation on his own, the shop owner left the bar again, returning to whatever he had been doing before the detective arrived. Akechi stared at the cup in front of him, his hands wrapped securely around the hot mug. He let his eyes close, going through what he wanted to say. No, that was wrong – what he needed to say to Kurusu Akira, leader of the phantom thieves. What he wanted was to confess his unending love for Kurusu Akira, boy whom Akechi had fallen hard for, and then push Akira up against the wall and _show_ him how he felt, too.

He could only do one of those things. He needed distance from Akira for his plan to work, but he couldn’t shut him out completely. Akechi did things he had no desire to all of the time. Everything he did was a means to an end, and this should be no different. Why did he feel stuck to his chair? Why were his feet so reluctant to climb the stairs and end what had only just begun? Akechi drained his coffee and left payment on the bar. He set his briefcase in the stool and headed for the stairs.

He hadn’t heard anything from upstairs – no floorboards creaking, no TV chattering away. It was a Sunday, so Akira might not be there after all. Akechi was trying to figure out a different time to stop by when he crested the stairs and looked into the room. There were no lights on, but the sun shone brightly through the window. There was an open suitcase on the bed, half-filled with neatly folded clothes. An empty toiletry bag lay open on the desk. Akira stood with his back to Akechi, one hand under his chin in contemplation. He hadn’t noticed Akechi yet.

The detective took a moment to stare at the man in front of him. Akira was slim and tall with a shock of black hair crowning his head. Akechi thought he probably would have been popular at Shujin if it weren’t for the criminal record preceding him. He wondered what Akira was like at his previous school, before everything went to hell. Were his attempts to go unnoticed with his shaggy hair and glasses a result of that incident, or a true part of his personality? Akira had an easy way with people, even if he was a bit standoffish. Did that come from a previous popularity? Or was it something he learned in order to make his way through the world?

Akechi was broken from his musings by movement from the object of his attention. Akira grabbed a shirt off the bed and began folding it neatly. Akechi climbed the last two stairs and purposefully made his footfalls louder as he emerged into the room.

Akira turned and looked at the sound. He turned away quickly and busied himself finding a place in the suitcase for the shirt he had just folded. “Glad to see you’re okay.” Akira called out without turning around.

“Yes,” Akechi replied, “I was under the weather for a few days, but I’m much better now.” A silence stretched between the pair. Akira continued to fold and pack his clothes. Akechi pushed on. “Going somewhere?”

“School trip to Hawaii. We leave on Wednesday. I wanted to see you before we left, but…” As his sentence trailed off, Akira finally turned. His face was carefully neutral, but he met Akechi’s eyes and the detective could see the hurt in them.

This was fine, he could deal with hurt. He just couldn’t break Akira, not before…

“You were too sick to use your phone, then?”

“I was out of it for several days. I heard it go off, but I didn’t pay it any attention.” Akechi wondered if Akira believed him. He was clever, but it was so easy to deceive when you said what the other party wanted to hear. “How was the jazz club?”

Akira broke eye contact to continue packing again. “It was good. The music was fantastic as ever, though I’m not sure what I ended up drinking. I ordered two things, just in case.”

Akechi moved closer. The words he needed to say were at the front of his mind, on the tip of his tongue. _We can’t see each other, Akira. We need to stop this before it goes further. I don’t feel about you that way…_ He needed to do it, and quickly. Akira’s sad, hurt eyes were doing things to him that shouldn’t be happening. He felt warmth on his neck, in the base of his stomach, at the thought of what he could do to man before him. He remembered what he had done already, a few short days ago, in this very room. There was so much more he wanted, but only one thing he needed.

“We need to stop this, Akira. We shouldn’t become… involved, not any more than we already are.” Akira froze with a pair of socks clutched in his hand. He swiveled to face Akechi fully, dropping the socks and straightening with a slightly defiant look on his face. That was… unexpected. Akechi thought he would see hurt, confusion, sadness – but defiance? Akira continued to surprise him all the time.

“Why not?” Akira held the detective’s gaze, and Akechi knew he couldn’t lie about how he felt. He was an amazing actor, had played multiple personalities to countless people and kept up with his web of lies so perfectly. He would break under Akira’s even stare, at the heat in his grey eyes. As if reading his mind, Akira continued. “I know you feel the same as I do. You can try and tell me you don’t, but I know. What’s really going on?”

Akechi wore his face like a mask. He didn’t let anything show, which might have been telling in itself. He never gave Akira enough credit. Impulsively, he let himself smile. A real one, tinged with wit and cockiness and genuine glee. “I never give you enough credit. You see right through me, every time. How can we be so different, yet so alike?” Akechi moved closer again. He was within arm’s reach of Akira now, and could smell the other: pine and mint and something warm that Akechi couldn’t place. “It would complicate things, don’t you think? I’m in the public eye, working on high-profile cases. You’re a student with a criminal record who’s supposed to be keeping his head down while his probation finishes. We can’t exactly go out and date like people our age normally would, can we?” Not to mentioned Akira had to worry about gallivanting around in the metaverse playing the hero, an identity he and his friends seemed to struggle to hide.

“Is that all?” Akira looked genuinely confused, but a half smile tugged at his lips. “Goro, that’s nothing. We don’t have to go out in public at all. I know you and I are both busy, but surely we can make time here and there to be together?” Akira’s smile was so gentle, so relieved. _Is that all?_ It wasn’t, but there wasn’t any more Akechi could say. He was grasping at straws for reasons to keep them apart, knowing full well that neither of them wanted to be. There was only one good reason to stay away, but only Akechi could know. Maybe he should just let it happen, after all. It might be harder, later. He thought there was a slim possibility that in a few months’ time, he would tire of this boy with his selfless heart and easy-going nature. Slim indeed.

Akechi moved closer yet again, into the reach of Akira’s arms, nose to nose with him. He breathed in pine and mint and warmth. “I think we might be able to make that work.” He breathed, eyes flicking between Akira’s steel gaze and soft lips. He was giving up so easily. He closed the distance between their lips, letting his hands fall to Akira’s waist as Akira’s hands cupped his face. Akechi pulled Akira’s hips against his own, deepening the kiss and letting a fraction of his hunger and his need get through.

Akira responded immediately, sliding his hands into Akechi’s hair and pulling the detective closer. He walked Akechi away from the bed, stopping the kiss only to push him down onto the couch. Akechi felt Akira’s legs settle on either side of his own as the thief straddled him. His face was pulled upwards to continue the kiss. Akechi let his hands rest on Akira’s waist, massaging and traveling down to where Akira’s plump ass was grinding into his groin. It was desperate and hungry and wet, and it was cut entirely too short when they heard a third person clearing his throat at the top of the stairs.

Akira all but fell off of Akechi’s lap, red faced as he stared at Sojiro who had come up the stairs with Akechi’s briefcase. “A lot of people like to come in around lunchtime, so I was going to bring you your briefcase, Akechi-kun.” He looked back and forth between the two boys with an exasperated yet tired expression.

Akechi stood up smoothly, not stopping to smooth his disheveled hair or re-tuck in his shirt, which he hadn’t even realized was out. “Thank you very much, Sakura-san. I hadn’t realized the time. I shouldn’t have left this for so long.” Akechi strode to Sojiro and grabbed the briefcase, turning to set it on Akira’s desk. He looked back in time to see the other two exchange a meaningful glance.

“Akira, don’t forget I’ll need your help this afternoon. And uh… don’t do anything stupid, alright?” He looked over both of them in turn, then went back downstairs with a heavy sigh.

Akira and Akechi met each other’s eyes. Akira gave a short laugh and shook his head. Akechi gave him a smile which might have been his most genuine yet. He nodded to the bed. “Shall we continue before your afternoon shift?” Akechi let his eyes focus on the bulge of Akira’s pants which was still quite apparent. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it fully. He felt a burning desire in the pit of his stomach and a hunger that unnerved him just a little. Akira’s hair was even messier than usual, his lips were red and glistening, and he wore his arousal plain on his face. Akechi _needed_ him.

The younger student threw the clothes remaining on the bed into the suitcase and shoved the whole mess onto the floor to hastily clear space. Akira’s eyes were bright and hungry as Akechi pushed him back onto the stiff mattress and slotted himself between Akira’s legs. The ravenous kissing continued as if it had never been interrupted. Akechi pulled Akira’s hips hard against his own, grinding forward as he moved his kisses down Akira’s jaw, his neck, his chest until the black hem of Akira’s undershirt stopped his progress.

Before Akechi could do anything about it himself, Akira had lifted up and pulled his shirts over his head. His hands started for Akechi’s shirt until the brunet grabbed and pinned his wrists over his head. Akechi kept Akira’s hands pinned while he continued a trail down the smooth, toned chest of his captive. Akechi’s free hand began to circle and rub Akira’s right nipple while his mouth worked on the left; Akira moaned breathily in response, his hips arching into Akechi’s. Akechi lifted his head to admire the red sheen high on Akira’s cheeks. The raven-haired boy had his eyes squeezed shut and his kips slightly parted to let out small moans and pants. Akechi grinned with satisfaction and continued a trail down Akira’s abdomen with his tongue. He released Akira’s hands, but the act seemed to go unnoticed. Akira kept his hands above his head, his arms stretching in quite a pleasing way.

Akechi made quick work of Akira’s belt and the clasp on his jeans. He wrapped his fingers around the waistband of Akira’s pants and boxers and roughly pulled them down, exposing Akira’s erection to the cool air. Akira hissed out a breath and looked down at Akechi with bright eyes. Akechi maintained the eye contact while wrapping his left hand around Akira’s length, slowly starting to pump his fist. He leaned forward, still keeping his eyes on Akira’s, and delighted in the other’s expression when he engulfed the head of Akira’s cock in his mouth. He pushed further, until Akira’s length pushed against the back his throat, and used his hand to stimulate what remained outside.

Akira’s breathing was quick and tinged with a whine. He moved his hands to cover his mouth, stifling the small sounds. Akechi would rather be able to hear his partner’s moaning and see the flush high on Akira’s cheeks better, but also didn’t want a reappearance of Sojiro, so he let Akira muffle himself and instead focused all his attention on sucking and bobbing his head up and down. He used his free hand to lightly circle Akira’s rim, rubbing in the spit and precum that dripped down. Akira’s breathing hitched as his hips bucked forward, shallowly thrusting into Akechi’s mouth. The brunet increased his rhythm and sucked just a little harder, thinking hard about breathing and not gagging around the sudden thrusting. He let the tip of his finger slip inside Akira, moving the digit in tight circles before advancing and thrusting slowly. He was rewarded with a brief, high moan, quickly cut off. Akira’s hips stuttered, not knowing whether to focus forward or backward. Akechi pulled his mouth off Akira’s shaft and licked a long stripe from base to head before moving downward. He laved Akira’s balls briefly, taking first one then the other into his mouth, lightly sucking. He moved his mouth further down still, all the while his left hand kept a steady rhythm moving up and down Akira’s slick member.

As he breached his partner with his tongue, he felt Akira fall apart. It was so intoxicating – the phantom thief had several ‘friends,’ but no one else could take him apart like this. No one else saw him with such unruly hair, face flushed, whining and trying to hide his wanting and needing. This moment belonged to Akechi and Akechi alone.

After Akechi began to use his mouth with earnest, Akira didn’t last long. He bit his hand as his hips jerked wildly, painting his own stomach and sheets with his ejaculation. Akechi worked him through his orgasm, but pulled away once Akira’s body relaxed back into the bed. Akechi heard Akira panting above him as he ducked and reached a hand under the bed, remembering from before that there was a bottle of lubed stashed somewhere down here. He found the bottle and liberally coated two fingers and Akira’s entrance with the cool liquid. He slid one finger back in slowly. He didn’t want to rush if Akira wasn’t ready, but there was a time limit, and his own aching member straining against his pants was getting rather painful. Akira moaned softly and caught Akechi’s eyes with his own, heavy-lidded gaze.

“Is it alright if I…?” Akechi asked, but didn’t halt his probing fingers. Akira’s warmth was intoxicating around his fingers, soft and tight and hot. There was a fair amount of pressure squeezing his digits, but he could spread them easily. He thought back to when he entered here for the first time, the velvety feel of Akira skewed on his cock, the panting mess of him at Akechi’s mercy. He suppressed a shiver at the thought, and focused back to Akira in time to see him nod.

Akechi withdrew his fingers and delighted in the small gape as he pulled them out all the way. Did Akira know how exposed he really was? Tired and pliant and satiated, still willing to be fucked for the sake of someone else’s orgasm. For the sake of Akechi’s pleasure. Akechi tugged at his clothes until his erection was freed and slicked himself with lube. He watched intently as he lined himself with Akira’s hole, shimmering with lube and spit. This might be his favorite part, watching the head of his cock breach the tight ring of Akira’s asshole, stretching the pink skin into paleness, the shaft disappearing into the heat until their hips were flush. Akechi paused only for a moment before dragging back out of Akira again, hearing his partner’s breathing hitch. He grabbed Akira’s legs and spread them apart, lifting Akira’s hips into the air. He could see his length sliding in and out with each slow thrust, Akira’s cock swaying the motions, Akira’s face twisting in overstimulated pleasure.

Akechi angled his hips up a little, aiming for just the right spot. He felt Akira twitch suddenly and stifle a moan, and increased his pace. He wondered how much noise was escaping downstairs – the quiet panting, the slapping skin, the creak of the bed on its milk crates filled Akechi’s ears but existed behind the awareness of Akira and the pleasure building in his gut. He was trying to keep a fast, steady pace, but concentrating was getting harder to do. He released Akira’s right leg and used his free hand to pump the neglected erection in front of him. Akira bit into his hand again and let out a whine low in his throat. He tightened immediately and the change was enough to bring Akechi suddenly very, very close. His hips thrusted erratically, shallow and fast, seeking his release with little thought to anything else. He let go of Akira’s other leg and leaned forward, trying to focus through the fog of pleasure enveloping his mind.

Akechi felt Akira tense again, his ass tightening unbelievably and pushing Akechi over the edge. It was all he could do to remember to keep jerking off Akira while he rode out his own orgasm, hips stuttering as he released into the hot depths of Akira’s ass. He was only dimly aware of the feeling of Akira’s release spurting between them seconds later.

They stayed in that position for several moments, each basking in the feeling of his own orgasm. Akechi savored the moment – the feeling of Akira relaxed in his arms, their quiet, intermingled panting, the smells of sweat and semen and _Akira_ all around him. He could probably count on his hands the number of moments like this he would get before it would all come crashing down, one way or another. He slid out of Akira, watching the dribble of cum leaking out after with satisfaction.

“Goro…” Akira softly moaned at the movement. Akechi reached under the bed again, remembering again from their previous experience, and pulled out a package of wipes. He cleaned his partner off quickly and Akira lay there, quietly accepting the care.

“When do you have to go downstairs?” Akechi asked, eyeing Akira’s sweaty, unruly hair and flushed appearance. He enjoyed looking at this obviously-just-fucked Akira, but knew better than most the importance of keeping up appearances.

Akira checked his phone. “I still have about an hour. That should be enough time to clean up and finish packing.” He looked over at his clothes, strewn across the floor in their haste. Most of the suitcase had gotten dumped out in the rush. Now relatively clean, Akira dressed and started to pick up and fold his clothes. Akechi dressed more slowly, watching the other work.

“When do you get back from Hawaii?”

“Sunday, do you want a souvenir?” Akira hadn’t turned to answer and so missed Akechi’s amused expression. He supposed they were dating, after all. The only thing Akechi wanted was for Akira not to leave at all. And for Akira to abandon all of his friends and stay only with him forever, but he couldn’t let that be known.

“Only if you see something interesting.” What would he do with a souvenir? His apartment was bare, filled only with the necessities for basic living. The only things he’d added to it after renting the place fully furnished were his clothes and toiletries, and he liked it that way. “Maybe a picture of you at the beach, if you get bored.” He’d meant for that to come out as a joke, but it sounded much more earnest in his ears.

Akira did turn to him then, a faint smile on his lips. “A swimsuit pic, really? I think I can make that happen.” He turned back to packing, but Akechi thought he could see Akira’s shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

Akira – June

Akira wondered if Akechi had asked the filming crew to pick him out of the audience. It could have been a funny joke, sharing some light banter on live TV with his friendly detective acquaintance that he couldn’t stop thinking about. Instead, it was a thinly veiled debate about the phantom thieves between a phantom thief and the detective hunting them.

When Akechi found him after the filming though, he seemed pleased about their disagreement. He didn’t linger on the discussion though, and on the journey back to LeBlanc, they chatted about various other things. Akechi was surprisingly well-informed on popular trends, asking Akira if he’d been so such-and-such café or watched this-or-that video. They talked about the sweltering heat during the summer, fireworks festivals, part-time jobs, and everything that wasn’t heavy or important.

At LeBlanc, Akira changed and freshened up in the bathroom while Akechi sat at the bar, conversing with Sojiro or watching TV, enjoying a cup of iced coffee. Akechi made it all seem very simple – talking, relaxing, being normal. Was that a skill he had? Putting other people at ease, never letting an awkward moment into a conversation? Akira didn’t know, but he appreciated the fact that Akechi appeared to like being with him without seeming to want anything from him.

Akira joined Akechi at the bar and the two left together. When Akira turned back to make sure the café door closed all the way, he noticed a curious expression on Sojiro’s face as he watched the two of them leave.

Akechi took him to a billiards bar in Kichijoji, which was equally unexpected and completely fitting. Akechi went to the bar to get drinks and a spot while Akira hovered around the free table, breathing in the smells of chair vinyl and floor cleaner and wood polish. The other side of the room had a group of people around two darts stations and the whole place was filled with a bubble of conversation.

Akira had limited experience with billiards but knew the rules well enough. He assumed Akechi was going to be pretty good – what wasn’t the detective good at? He did notice when Akechi came back that he carried a 9-ball rack which was usually a little more difficult than a standard 8-ball game. When Akechi sunk the 9 ball for a win off the break, Akira knew the brunet was about to wipe the table with him.

Frankly, he didn’t mind. Akira was surprised to notice Akechi switch to using his non-dominant hand for the rest of their games, but despite the handicap, Akira lost every round. He was frustrated with his own lack of ability, but also appreciated the fact that Akechi wasn’t just going to let him win.

Akira was rewarded with Akechi’s shocked expression when he brought up the fact that the detective had used his right hand. He liked surprising Akechi, and he liked to think that Akechi liked it too. There was an acknowledgement of something in Akechi’s eyes – he must know now how much Akira watched him, to have noticed and remembered something like his handedness. Akira hoped it would be chalked up to something simple, like him just being an observant person, rather than Akira desiring to know everything about Akechi for reasons that would remain unthought. He wanted to know Akechi’s past and his plans for the future, why he was so interested in popular trends despite spending his free time at Sojiro’s unknown café, why he constantly hid behind a smiling mask and only let brief glimpses of himself show through to Akira. Akira wanted to know if there was someone for whom Akechi let his mask disintegrate completely, someone who he could bare himself to. Mostly, Akira wanted to know if he could be that person.

“In any case, you truly are interesting. You never cease to intrigue me. If you ever manage to win against me using my right hand, then I will face you with everything I have. You have my word.” Akechi said, one side of his mouth lifting in a smirk. His eyes glimmered with amusement – they were getting more expressive the more time Akira spent looking at them. Or maybe he was just getting better at noticing the small changes? “Ah, I didn’t realize the time. Shall we go?”

Akira checked his phone – it was later than he’s thought. “Time flies when you’re having fun.” He said to Akechi, who gave him a small smile and preceded him through the doorway. They parted at the station, Akechi turning to his phone as he walked off. Akira watched him go, reviewing their time together. _You never cease to intrigue me…_ It seemed Akira’s own curiosities were reciprocated. He boarded the train and headed back to LeBlanc, Akechi on his mind the whole time.

When his phone pinged right outside the café door, he thought he imagined Akechi’s name on the screen from thinking too hard. He answered and wondered if this meant he was on Akechi’s mind for the entire commute home, too. It seemed like such a frivolous call – just to say he had a good time. Couldn’t he text that, or wait until they saw each other again? Didn’t a call mean something more? Did Akira want it to mean something more? His heart thudded with Akechi’s words – “As long as I can spend some time with you, think of it as you please.” To Akira, there was only one rational way to think about that. He needed to face reality – Akechi Goro was more than just a curiosity. _Apparently_ , Akira thought, _I’m more than just a curiosity as well_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't read this through terribly carefully because I was so happy to finally have finished it, so if there's a mistake someone let me know please!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading it! Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long :-)


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